'Wheel of Fortune' Fans Amazed by Grandmother and Grandson's 'Unbelievable Solve'
A Mississippi grandmother and her grandson are viewers' latest Wheel of Fortune fan-favorite contestants. Retta Alexander and her grandson Julian Hernandez left fans cheering after they managed to almost immediately solve a bonus round puzzle as they competed on the long-running game show as part of Grand Getaways week on Tuesday, May 23.
Alexander and Hernandez breezed their way through the competition, eventually landing themselves in the bonus round, where they were faced with a puzzle in the "Place" category. The pair were presented with a letter board that read, "_ A N C _ / _ _ _ T _ _ _ E." As the clock counted down, host Pat Sajak told them, "You have 10 seconds." Alexander and Hernandez could be seen briefly whispering to one another before Alexander answered, "Fancy boutique." The correct answer not only sent the audience erupting into cheers, but also added $40,000 to the $16,950 they had already amassed during the game, meaning the pair walked away with an overall total of $56,950.
The bonus round moment amazed Wheel of Fortune fans, who flocked to social media to react. Commenting on an Instagram video of the solve, one viewer wrote, "One of the sweetest duos I've ever seen on Wheel so so happy for them!" On Wheel of Fortune's YouTube video, another person applauded, "Way to go, Retta & Julian! I never could have guessed that one!" On Twitter, somebody else called the moment "unbelievable," adding, "WOW."
Alexander and Hernandez competed on Wheel of Fortune as part of the game show's Grand Getaways week, which sees grandparents paired with their grandchildren. According to WLOX, the pair went through a series of virtual interviews to enter the competition before eventually getting the green light to travel to California to compete. Alexander told the outlet, "I've been watching Wheel of Fortune since I was a little itty-bitty kid. It's always been my dream to go on Wheel of Fortune. I came home with the prize of knowing I fulfilled one of my lifelong dreams and everything."
As the pair's family hosted a watch party to cheer them on, Alexander and Hernandez proved to be fan-favorites from the get-go. At the top of Tuesday's episode, the pair opened up about their personal lives, Alexander describing herself as a "mother of three beautiful daughters," while Hernandez shared that he is planning to attend university or trade school for jewelry and metal work. The pair also told Sajak that they like to cook and watch TV together, with Alexander sharing, "When Wheel of Fortune is on, we're calling each other each other. I'm calling him from Mississippi from Phoenix to see if he got it before I did. We're very competitive!"